Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-07-28
Nathan Hale and Alice Adams.
Hartford Comm Courant.


Two granddaughters of Alice Adams,
Nathan Hale's betrothed, lived in Hart
ford-Mrs. DR.. Hastings and her sister,
Miss Elizabeth B. Sheldon was at the
unwilling of the Hale statue yesterday,
and after hearing what was said she
made various Important corrections of
the current stories of the engagement of
Hale and Alice Adams. The facts as she
gave them come from manuscript evil
dence, the testimony Of her own mother.
who was the daughter of Alice Adams,
and other similar authentic sources.
The tradition is that Alice Adams mar
ried twice after Hale's death. The fact
is that she was already widow while en-
gagged to Hale and, though she did marry
after his death, it was under peculiar
circumstances, none of which are incon-
sistent with the belief that Hale was the
only man whom she really loved. The
romantic story is substantially as fol-
lows:
Nathan Haie's father married for his
second wife the widow Abigail Adams,
of Canterbury. She had two Or three
lovely daughters, grown up or fast grow
ing up, and Mr.. Hale Had several sons of
corresponding age aud attractiveness
sons began falling in love with the daugh-
tiers, and one pair of them married. After
this Nathan developed tenderness for
Alice, though she was scarcely more than
child. The father Hale made up his
mind that there had been enough of this
intermarrying, and summariIy shut down
on this match, and sent Nathan off for
his education for the ministry.
Then cama an evcolIapt ffar for
hand. Mr.. Eliphalet Ripley, a man of
property and character, some years her
senior, asked her in marriage. She was
of yielding nature, and she gave way to
the pressure brought to bear upon her
and became Mrs. Ripley at the early age
of Is gears. Within two years he died,
and she was widow at IS, with comfor-
table little property. About this time
Nathan Hale came home, and would
tolerate no more opposition. He and
Alice avowed the affection they had had
and became engaged, but they could not
and Nathan went off and met the fearful
fate that was their final Sc paration.
She resolved thereupon never to marry
again, but the person who had charge of
her property proved dishonest and her en-
VAN POooOcoAOhS WOiC AOous 1uSduWuIlS blic
reputation of her beauty spread far and
wide. She was known as ''the handsom-
est girl in Connecticut" William Law
renee, of Hartford, familliarly called
''the Marquis" son of Treasurer John
Lawrence, started after her for his wife.
Her friends again urged her to marry and
she again yielded. She became Mrs.
Lawrence and lived in Hartford until she
was SO years old. Her last words not
"Writo to Nathan" but 80, call Nathan"
In her later years she grew somewhat
childish. her minding reverting to the
people and scenes of her earlier days.
Mrs. Alice Adams Lawrence frequently
spoke of Nathan Hale to her daughter,
who In turn repeated the talk to her
daughter, Miss Sheldon says she des-
cribed him as 6 feet high, straight as an
Indian, and remarkably athlatic and
manly.
The Lawrences lived for amy years on
the cornOr of State and Market streets, in
the wooden house only recently pulled
down.
The descendants of the family now in
the city are Miss Sheldon and Mrs. Hast
ings, and Mrs. Hastings children and
grandchildren. The children of Mr.. and
Mis-. John Habberton "Helen's Babies"
are grandchildren of Mrs. Hastings, and
so are great-great-g randchildre of Alice
Adams.